A Second Point of View
by DarkloidBlues
Summary: I didn't like the way Retrospect ended, so I came up with a nice friendship story to top it off. P&7 friendship.


**A Second Point of View**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Paris, Seven, Kovin, _Voyager_, the cargo bay, or any of this stuff, although I'd be most appreciative if someone gave me Tom. It all belongs to Paramount…darn. And I don't have a penny, just some Starburst wrappers.

**Summary:** A coda to end "Retrospect." Was there some other evidence that proved Kovin's innocence no one let Seven know about? Short P&7 friendship.

Paris found Seven standing in the cargo bay, gazing thoughtfully at her regeneration alcove.

"Hey," he said quietly, so as not to startle her. She turned. "I was going to send you a get well soon card, but since they kinda left you out of something, I thought this would be more appropriate."

Seven tilted her head to one side, her question audible in her words. "Left out, Lieutenant?"

"The new evidence that corroborated Kovin's story," he said, handing her a PADD. "I'm guessing they didn't tell you."

"The rifle had a memory core that tracked whether it was fired by accident or on purpose, and what it was aimed at," she read. "If—."

"They checked that data for tampering," Paris told her. "It's genuine. That rifle was pointed at the wall, and overloaded."

"The memories," Seven tried. "They happened."

"No," he said. "No, they didn't."

"How is that possible?" she asked.

"Sometimes, if we hate someone, then we imagine, maybe even subconsciously dream up, reasons that we consider reasonable to hate them," he said gently. "When I was in the Academy, at my semester in Marseilles, there was a guy in my exophilosophy class that I hated. Then, one night, I 'remembered' that he'd pulled a knife on me once. So I did the same to him. I didn't hurt him, just shocked the hell out of him, but later one of my friends took me aside and asked what was wrong. I explained, and he gave me a funny look and told me that that guy had never pulled a knife on me."

"I don't understand," said Seven. "You imagined an event, then believed it to be real?"

"Yes," said Paris. "My subconscious told me I had a reason to hate him. He never really pulled a knife on me. I just felt I needed an excuse to dislike him."

"You believe I felt that I needed an…excuse to dislike Kovin?" she asked, somewhat dubiously.

"Maybe," he said. "The bad thing was, you didn't really need a reason. He was an out-and-out jerk, and I doubt anyone on board liked him at all. People like that are easy to hate, Seven, and things don't always add up, so we just take the difference, seize the opportunity to find a good reason. You didn't even realize you were doing it," he added. "I didn't. I believed it had actually happened, and acted accordingly. When I found out the truth, there was a lot of guilt involved."

"What happened afterward?" Seven asked.

"I apologized," Paris said. "And explained. It turned out we had a lot in common. We became pretty good friends that semester. Later, though, he was killed in a training accident. Even though I explained, I still felt guilty."

 "Does it go away?" she asked. "I would be grateful if you could help."

"You have to help yourself," he told her. "I can't help you. It fades, eventually. But it helps us from making the same mistake again. That's the good thing about guilt."

"Both the Doctor and Captain Janeway have told me that," Seven admitted. "But it is…unpleasant."

"Which is exactly why it's so easy to remember," he said. "The hardest lessons always stay with us the longest. But we learn from them, Seven. Making mistakes and learning lessons is most of what being human is about. I ought to know that by now," he admitted, a little self-consciously.

She absorbed this and nodded slowly, then paused. "The cadet you drew a knife on…what was his name?"

"James Connelly," Paris recalled. "It took me a long time to get over it, but I eventually did. Seven, I know that sometimes, it might feel like the feeling's been hammered into you. But it helps, it really does."

"Does it?" she countered.

"Well," he admitted. "I never pulled a knife on anyone who didn't already have a knife pulled out on me at the moment after that."

"So, you believe I will…"

"Try and think things through next time," Paris said. "Take a deep breath, and a step back. Look around. Try and be objective."

"You believe I will do that?" Seven asked.

"I know you will," he replied. She nodded thoughtfully and stepped up to the regeneration alcove just as he went to leave. Just before he left, he turned.

"Everyone has their James Connelly, Seven. It's how we deal with the aftermath that makes us who become."

Seven smiled slightly at the new knowledge. After he left, she said quietly, "I will adapt."

**~End~**

I wasn't satisfied with the end of "Retrospect." If Paramount wanted to make Kovin innocent, they should've given us more evidence. So, I gave it to 'em.

And if you would indulge my delusions and hit the little review button down there, I'd be oh-so-grateful.


End file.
